[Wunderlich]: . . . his ringing top A at the end of "Ich grolle nicht" is the most thrilling sound on any "Dichterliebe" recording. His is a performance of unsurpassed liquid beauty, and for that alone we should be grateful . . . gorgeous, freely produced tone and scrupulous diction . . .

[Schumann / "Dichterliebe"]: The way he sings German music is so wonderful -- what he does with the words. The beauty, evenness of the line and colour is remarkable. And the way he finesses each of his phrases means it doesn't seem like he's ever having trouble with anything. His voice feels free and open. It feels like he's at home to me.

Wunderlich's mellifluous, sensuous timbre, grace of phrasing and impeccable clarity of diction are well-nigh ideal for Schumann's bittersweet cycle of remembered love . . . his fresh, ductile tone, elegant phrasing and a true, "bound legato" are precious assets in this music; and his climactic top A in "Ich grolle nicht" remains for me the most viscerally exciting single note in any "Dichterliebe" I've heard, live or on disc . . . at moments in the cycle I find the timbre of Wunderlich's voice intensely, sometimes uniquely, moving. It has a special plangency between E flat and F sharp at the top of the stave that gives an almost unbearable ache to the climax of "Ich will mein Seele tauchen" . . . And in some moods I find the eager freshness of his singing -- call it naive -- a refreshing contrast to the sophistication and dramatic intensity of so many modern performances.